Playing card holder



April 17, 1934.

F. G. McPHERSON PLAYING CARD HOLDER Filed May 17, 1933 avwuafoz EZZMT/Zensom Patented Apr. 17, 1934 l'f Fries 4 Claims.

This invention relates to holders for playing cards, and among other objects, aims to provide an improved holder which may be used in a bridge game to hold dummys hand so that said hand is fully exposed to all the players, including dummy, and which permits the cards to be withdrawn for playing without disturbing the remaining cards. The invention is useful in other games besides bridge, and has other objects which will be explained in the following description of two embodiments of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification:--

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of card holder, shown holding a hand of cards;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of card holder.

In the game of bridge, and in certain other card games, it is necessary that a number of cards be exposed to all the players, and it is desirable that these exposed cards be within convenient reach of the player and that they be held so that any one of them may be played without disturbing the others. The present invention provides a card holder which realizes these desiderata and which preferably provides a case or rack for holding packs of cards, table covers, pencils, score cards, rule books and other accessories for card games.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is shown a card holder comprising a base 5, two end walls 6, a front wall '7, a top 8 inclined at about or at some other angle permitting a View of the cards by all the players, and a retaining strip 9 secured to the top 8 by screws 10. At the rear of the holder, which is left open to facilitate the insertion and removal of articles within the holder, reinforcing strips 11, 12 are provided, the lower strip 11 also serving as a ledge to retain articles resting within the traylike holder when the latter is being carried about. The upper surface of the top 8 is covered with a layer of green felt 13, or some other soft fabric suitable for direct contact with playing cards, and the longitudinal edges of the felt are clamped by strip 9 and an outer strip 14 screwed into strip 12. Preferably, the felt or other fabric is laid flat and smooth upon the top and is of such thickness and weave as to provide a slightly yielding surface for the cards, to afford a certain frictional resistance to sliding of the cards when arranged on the holder as will be described.

Between the retaining strip 9 and the felted or otherwise cushioned or covered surface of the top is a thin strip of white celluloid 15, or other resilient material such as hard rubber, thin wood or thin resilient polished metal. The same screws 10 which hold strip 9 in place also secures the celluloid strip 15. Beneath the celluloid strip is a layer 16 of felt or other fabric (also secured by strip 9) which is preferably of a color contrasting with the color of the felt layer 13, and being flexible and fairly heavy, permits the insertion of a hand of cards in the manner shown in Fig. 1, yet (in conjunction with layer 13) holds the cards when positioned.

When the holder is in use, it is always on the table, and is moved in front of the dummy, who arranges the hand in accordance with the conventions and after the first lead, turns the holder about, the inclination of the top being such that all the players, including the dummy, may see dummys hand. The holder may be moved toward the player having the contract, to obviate unnecessary reaching, and because of the way the cards are held, playing dummys hand is greatly facilitated, there being no movement of the cards when one of them is lifted from the holder for playing. Thus the player having the contract may play more quickly, without any manipulation of dummys cards, thereby making possible a greater number of rubbers in an evening, and eliminating annoyance certain to arise when playing from loose cards resting on a fiat table. The frictional resistance of the felt layers 13, 16 is such that the cards remain in their original positions except when forcibly withdrawn, one at a time, for playing.

Within the holder, a pack of playing cards P and other card game accesssories may be carried without danger of dropping on the floor when the holders is transported from one spot to another.

The modified form of Fig. 3 is like the form just described, except that the body 17 0f the holder is not hollow, and the top is perfectly flat. The body may be a solid block of wood or some light metal and is covered by felt 13 with a wood strip 9 similar to strip 9 and a celluloid strip 15 similar to strip 15. A felt strip 16* extends outwardly from under the celluloid strip and has a doubled-under edge with stitching 18 as shown, providing a somewhat stiff card-retaining member.

The described holder is a very useful adjunct to a card table, facilitating the playing of many games. It may be very light in weight, very compact and with suitable attention to details, may be highly ornamental. Moreover, the peculiar construction of the card-holder permits the insertion of cards obliquely, as shown in Fig. 1, and causes the cards when inserted to be securely held and yet to be individually removable without disturbing adjacent cards. This is because the holding pressure is greatest at the lowermost corners of the cards, and each of said corners is free from contact with the corner of adjacent cards. Perhaps the most important feature of the invention is this method of securely holding the cards overlapped and yet individually removable without disturbing any of the cards remaining in the holder.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiments thereof herein shown and described.

What I claim is:-

1. A card holder comprising, in combination, a body having a flat upper surface; padding material secured upon said surface; a layer of flexible fabric extending longitudinally of the body and lying over the padded surface thereof and presenting a loose, resilient, longitudinal flap; and means to secure said fabric layer; the parts being so made and arranged that overlapping playing cards may be inserted obliquely beneath the loose flap and will be held without movement in their original positions until forcibly withdrawn for playing.

2. A card holder comprising, in combination, a body having a flat upper surface; padding material secured upon said surface; a layer of flexible fabric extending longitudinally of the body and lying over the padded surface thereof and presenting a loose, resilient, longitudinal flap; a thin strip of hard, resilient material above the fabric layer; a retaining strip above the aforesaid thin strip and removably secured to the body; the parts being so made and arranged that overlapping playing cards may be inserted obliquely beneath the loose flap and will be held without movement in their original positions until forcibly withdrawn for playing.

3. A card holder comprising, in combination, a body having a bottom, and walls and a fiat top inclined at about 30 to the horizontal, the rear of the body being open and the interior of the body being hollow; a layer of flexible fabric extending longitudinally of the body and lying over the padded surface thereof and presenting a loose, resilient, longitudinal flap; and means to secure said fabric layer; the parts being so made and arranged that overlapping playing cards may be inserted obliquely beneath the loose flap and will be held without movement in their original positions until forcibly withdrawn for playing.

4. A card holder comprising, in combination, a body having a bottom, end walls and a flat top inclined at about 30 to the horizontal, the rear of the body being open and the interior of the body being hollow; a layer of flexible fabric extending longitudinally of the body and lying over the padded surface thereof and presenting a loose, resilient, longitudinal flap; a thin strip of hard, resilient material above the fabric layer; a retaining strip above the aforesaid thin strip and removably secured to the body; the parts being so made and arranged that overlapping playing cards may be inserted obliquely beneath the loose flap and will be held without movement in their original positions until forcibly Withdrawn for playing.

FRANK G. MCPHERSON. 

